the deepening ground

Just the other night I thought to myself, “I haven’t seen a post from Vova Zinger in awhile.” I wondered if I had been kicked off his email notifications or if something else had happened. I came upon his photography a few years ago shortly after I started the deepening ground and I looked forward to his daily photographs capturing life as he experienced it around the Boston area. He had been posting for years at that point, having started back in August of 2007. Today, during my lunch, I found an obituary that likely confirms what I feared.

When I later ran into my artist colleague and friend over lunch (the one I worked with on his wood fired pottery show last year), I made the comment that I need to take more time to savor the art in life. Usually, over lunch, I grade a few more papers or do some extra lesson planning. Today, I went back through some of Vova’s photographs, knowing that later this year, they too will likely disappear. I wanted to remember, to allow those images to burn more deeply into my mind’s eye, and leave more than just a one-line epitaph for a man who inspired me to see with fresh eyes.

The Still Shutter

By Vincent H. Anastasi 2024

in memory of Vova Zinger

I shudder at your still shutter,
the lenses forever dimmed,
my question answered
in a one-line obituary.

May I still see the world
through your now-closed eyes -
   an old wooden fence,
   Bash Bish Falls,
   Dahlias in black and white -
even after your plan fails to renew
and each photograph fades
into the forgotten digital recesses,
a fingerprint only a detective (or poet)
can lift from oblivion.

---

You can read a poem I wrote inspired by one of Vova Zinger’s photographs here: Remains of the Bridge.